Maleficent changes her character

For many years of my childhood, Maleficent stood out as the most evil of all the Disney villains. Firstly, her beauty and grace went against all of the stereotypes of evil witches that had been around for millennia. Secondly, she always came across as intelligent and competent; she could command a room. Thirdly, she had no motivation for being evil. She just was. Maybe she was jealous, maybe she was truly hurt at not being invited to the party, the reason never really seemed clear. Evil without motivation or reason is the most terrifying of all. A psychopath who kills for the pleasure of killing cannot be dissuaded from his or her actions unless there is an underlying reason why the killing seems pleasurable. I find the inability of logic to persuade people truly terrifying, and there was no logical stance that one could take with Maleficent. With a new, or now revealed, backstory, the evil of Maleficent is mitigated through her redemption. She goes through a bad relationship where a man cuts off her wings and takes away her ability to do what she loves and to soar above the clouds. This causes her to seek revenge, turn into a monarch of Old Testament Biblical proportions and change the world according to her hate. However, as she learns about the victim of her hate, Maleficent begins to have feelings for Aurora. Maleficent regrets the curse and tries her best to remove it. In the end, Maleficent earns her own redemption through love. Going further, Maleficent does not backslide in her confrontation with the king. She attempts to end the hostilities even though she clearly could have killed Stefan. Maleficent is able to show mercy even if Stefan is not able to accept it. She is no longer pure evil, but a person who made bad choices and found a way, through love and long suffering, to make better ones.Read the movie review for Maleficent here'Maleficent' strikes a cultural nerveRead 'Frozen' and 'Maleficent' create instant clicheRead about the Maleficent sneak peek at Disney California AdventureEvil is simpleIndustrial destruction, nature, science fiction, fantasy and mankindAn alternate ending for 'Maleficent'?